Adult Acne: Causes & Remedies

Adulthood comes with many hard truths, but one of the most brutal is that acne doesn’t magically go away once the teen years are over. Many find that their skin continues to flare up well into adulthood. For others who escaped teenage acne, they sometimes find themselves breaking out with adult acne in their 20s, 30s, or even 40s. 

With both teen and adult acne, the same root cause is at play: chronic inflammation. While topicals and prescription medications may help to a degree, they are only a bandaid, as none adequately address the underlying chronic inflammation. 

Want to truly know how to prevent adult acne? The key is addressing the diet and lifestyle factors causing chronic inflammation and acne to begin with.

What Causes Adult Acne?

There are many different factors that can contribute to adult acne. The following are some of the biggest contributors. 

Diet

Diet plays a significant role in the health of our skin. Certain foods may promote breakouts, while other foods can help to reduce breakouts. 

Refined Carbohydrates / Refined Sugar

If you have adult acne, you may want to consider limiting or avoiding refined carbohydrate foods - such as baked goods, sweets, candy, pasta, and cereal. Multiple studies have found that increased intake of refined carbohydrate foods is linked with increased risk of acne. And typically, the more of these foods consumed, the worse the severity of acne. 

This is believed to be due to their impact on the hormones insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Elevated IGF-1 has been shown to promote both inflammation and excess oil production of the skin, which is a recipe for breakouts. What’s more, studies suggest there is a link between insulin resistance and acne. 

For more foods linked to acne, check out this article: 4 Sneaky Foods Linked to Acne

Nutrient Deficiencies

Even what you don’t eat can have an impact on your skin. Research shows that certain nutrient deficiencies can contribute to acne, such as vitamin A or zinc. 

Gut Dysbiosis

Ongoing research continues to shed light on the connection between gut health and acne. 

For example, studies show acne patients tend to have less gut microbial diversity than their clear skin counterparts. Specifically, acne patients tend to lack certain beneficial strains including lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. Additionally, some research suggests acne patients may be more likely to have an impaired intestinal barrier.

This is why nourishing your gut - through both food and a high quality probiotic supplement - is key to clear skin, no matter what your age. (More on this, below). 

Stress

It is true…stress can break you out. What we’ve all probably experienced and suspected, has been validated by multiple studies. It seems that stressful thoughts trigger inflammation by first disrupting the gut microbiome and gut lining, creating the perfect storm for breakouts. (Another reason to really support your gut health…even if you eat pretty healthy, as most of us living in the modern world are under a lot of stress). 

One of the first studies that showed a link between stress and acne was published in 1953 in the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine. When researchers conducted a purposely stressful interview with acne-prone individuals, they reported an acne flare-up within just a few days. In the decades since, multiple studies have produced similar results, for example this one with female medical students, which indicated an increase in stress severity strongly correlated with an increase in acne severity. Or another study involving college students found that acne increased during examination time. 

Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones control our sebaceous (oil-producing) glands, and certainly play a role in acne formation. However, when it comes to hormonal acne, instead of blaming our hormones, we need to ask the question, what caused the hormones to become imbalanced? 

Hormones are messengers - they respond to our environment. So for example when we’re stressed, the body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol (which has been linked to increased inflammation and oil production of the skin). 

When we eat carbohydrates, the body pumps out more of the hormones insulin and insulin-like growth-factor-1 (IGF-1) which have both been linked to increased risk of acne. Eating too many refined carbohydrates has also been linked to elevated levels of androgens, another risk factor for acne. 

Beyond food and stress, even our gut health plays a role in hormone balance. The body eliminates excess hormones through our stool, and when we’re constipated, those extra hormones can get reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, contributing to hormonal imbalance. In fact, one small study found as much as 60% of PCOS patients suffer from bloating (a common symptom of constipation). Another study on women with PCOS found increased incidence of IBS and constipation. 

Yet another reason to nourish your gut microbiome with healthy food and a high quality probiotic supplement, and to add stress-busting activities into your daily routine. 

How to Reduce Adult Acne

To effectively reduce adult acne for good, you need to address the dietary and lifestyle factors contributing to it. Here are some of the top habits to adopt for clear skin:

Eat More Anti-Inflammatory Foods

We get it – making changes to your diet isn’t always easy. That said, it’s one of the best things you can do to minimize breakouts.

An anti-inflammatory diet is centered around whole, nutrient-rich foods that are known to fight inflammation. Foods loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids are especially beneficial. Examples include:

• Flax seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds 
• Almonds and walnuts
• Dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and chard 
• Berries
• Fatty fish like salmon, herring, mackerel, and anchovies

Address Nutrient Deficiencies

If you follow any sort of diet or eating guidelines, especially those that restrict certain types of foods, such as vegan, vegetarian, keto, or carnivore, it’s a great idea to get your nutrient levels tested. You can do this with a simple blood test. Ask your healthcare provider for a complete vitamin and mineral panel.

Then, be sure to include more of the foods rich in nutrients you’re low on, with the help and guidance of your healthcare provider or Nutritionist. 

Nourish the Gut with Probiotics

A healthy, balanced gut microbiome is key to clear skin. The best way to nourish the gut is through probiotic-rich foods (like sauerkraut and kimchi), and by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement like Glow Biome. 

Glow Biome was formulated specifically for acne-prone skin with beneficial lactobacillus and bifidobacteria strains that target the gut-skin connection. It is dermatologist-tested and clinically shown to reduce breakouts and excess oil in just 12 weeks. 

Reduce Stress

Identifying tools and habits you enjoy which help you manage your stress levels is essential for supporting clear skin (and of course, promoting better health in general!). 

Whether it be journaling, breathwork, yoga, going to a fitness class, meditating, painting, or spending time in nature, figure out exactly what it is that you need to keep your stress levels in check on a regular basis.